PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3084, 15 May 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

. Frjsnoh and British reports agree in ascribing decisive importance to trio capture of Bullecourt, a village on the Arras battlefront which has been the centre of desperate fighting during the past fortnight. It is expressively stated in a message from lans that tho Bullecourt-Queant redoubt (of which in Bullecourt and neighbouring positions, the enemy has now lost the north-west-ern portion)' forms the hinge on which the Hindonburg line turns, and that tho capture of Bullecourt is tho first serious blow against tho enemy's new* defensive system. If other evidence were lacking, the importance of the position would be attested in tho tremendous sacrifices tho enemy has incurred in endeavouring to hold it. It is clear that tho German line has been dangerously breached, and in this achievement, which promises to heavily influence events in the near future, Australian troops havo taken a gallant and distinguished part. The Commandcr-in-Chicf gives prominence in his official report to the fact that the Australians for ten days maintained positions on the Hindenburgline, eastward of Bullecourt, and in that poriod repelled twelve determined counter-attacks. The Australians, were chiefly, if not solely, responsible for the encircling movement which made the capture of Bullecourt possible. The trenches in which they repelled violent attacks for ten days formed a narrow salient; and the enemy, who unmistakably regards the Bullecourt pdsition as vital, fought throughout as if its retention, and the recovery of its lost elements, were a. matter of life and death. Taking account of these facts, it seoins likely that the achievement of the Australians will rank with tho greatest which the war has witnessed.

Bullecodrt stands south-east of Arras, in tho area between the highroads which converge on Cambrai from Arras and Bapaume. The village is about two and a half miles west of Queant, vrhich has for some time been under notice as a strong bastion in tho Hindenburg line. According to one messages which appears to-day, the fall of Bullecourt will practically isolate. Queant. Why this should be- so is not quite clear from the particulars given in current reports and the topographical features shown in available maps. Queant stands on and near higher ground than the British hold at Bullecourt and east of that place. Presumably, however, the newly-won positions in the latter locality give the British artillery command of the routes by which Queant is supplied from the northeast and cast, including the railway from Cambrai. On the south theBritish are established on the flank of tho Queanfc defences, at a distance of a mile or two from the village, and in this quarter also in part command its communications.

The conquest of Bullecourt is the most important of a scries of successes in which the BritisH have gained positions conferring importill t advantages of artillery observation. The general result is to materially weaken the enemy line and incidentally to emphasise the uselessness of the enoi'mous sacrifices ho has lately incurred in endeavtmring to hold it secure/ Whether these successes are the prelude to another forward sweep in the British offensive is at the moment an open question. It is not a foregone conclusion that the serious weakening of the enemy line which has, been accomplished will bo followed by an immediate attempt to completely overwhelm the German defence. In their concerted offensive the Allies are fighting for big rather than immediate results, aud a further period of practically stationary fighting on the Arras front would not argue any weakening in the offensive. On tho contrary, it would strongly support the theory that the unexampled obstinacy of the enemy's defence on his present line is accounted for by liis extreme reluctance to fa-ce thn risks of retreat.

The latest news from the British front available at timo of writing is to the effect that the enemy is still 'making desperate efforts to re-

tncvc Jim unfavourable position int-it which he has been thrown. Sut Douglas Haig reports that the British hold the greater part of Bullecourt.

Souk remarks lately made by an Irish member in the House of Comlltoini suggested, amongst other things, that unfavourable news from ayna was being withheld by the Imperial Government. A report from Cairo, which appears Eo-day, runs counter to such a suggestion. It indicates that the British forces in contact with the Turks near Gaza are in command of the situation, and that tho enemy is suffering under., effective artillery bombardment and is being methodically harried by the mounted troops (who include Australians and New Zealanders) and aircraft. No progress has been made in Palestine for some weeks past, but this does not necessarily imply a set-back. The alternative explanation is available that tho British forces in this theatre are biding their time and awaiting developments in tho Balkans and in Asia Minor and Mesopotamia.

The sea and air bombardments of Zeebrugge reported to-day appear to have constituted the most successful operations undertaken against this enemy base for a long time past. The Germans- have made extended use of Zeebruggc as a base for surface torpedo craft and submarines, and besides harrying Dutch shipping the Zeebrugge tbrpedoers have gathered in an occasional British ship trading to Holland. If tho Germans hoped that Zeebruggo would ser,ve them as a base for successful attack on .the Channel communications, the hope has been disappointed, but the little port on the Belgian coast has been the starting point of a number of raids on the English coast and other objectives, And is a, nest well worth rooting out. The Germans not only built submarines and small torpeHo craft at Antwerp and sent them to Zeebruggo by way of the Scheldt and the Bruges Canal, but succeeded in conveying some of their latest and fastest destroyers to the Belgian port, evidently by way of the North Sea. In the early stages of the' war Zeebruggc was periodically bom"bardccl from the sea as well as attacked from the air, but after -a time the .naval operations were discontinued, possibly because the Germans established powerful batteries at the port and on the neighbouring coastline. In addition to these batteries Zeebrugge is defended by very powerful anti-aircraft guns, including, it is said, weapons firisg a. shell of about 100 pounds. ( To-day's reports suggest that the Admiralty has found means of coping effectively with these formidable defences. The enemy's denials that serious damage was done are in conflict not only with the Admiralty reports, but with others that havo come by way of Holland. To completely destroy the Zeebryifrge base may be a matter of difficulty, but the attacks reported, if their effect lias not been over-estimated, are of a nature to very greatly impair its usefulness to the enemy.